Top 10 LL.M. Programs in New York

Columbia, one of the top law schools in the world, is always ranked in the top five of the US Law School Ranking from US News and World Report. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia is also one of the most represented law schools among LL.M.s working in Big Law firms. Notably, Columbia’s LL.M. includes a number of opportunities for students to get hands-on experience, from pro bono projects to externships and clinics.

Founded in 1835, NYU School of Law was the first law school established in New York City. Like Columbia, NYU is generally ranked as one of the top law schools in the US by US News. The school offers a number of LL.M. programs, covering topics in Corporation Law, Environmental and Energy Law, Competition, Innovation and Information Law, and more. NYU’s LL.M. in Taxation is particularly well-regarded.

Located in upstate New York, Cornell, like NYU, is a member of the exclusive Ivy League. The university’s law school was founded in 1887; its LL.M. typically recruits up to 90 students per year. Beyond its General LL.M. program, the school also offers an LL.M in Law Technology and Entrepreneurship, on its recently-opened New York City campus dubbed “Cornell Tech.”

Another New York City school, Fordham Law is located on Manhattan’s West Side, in Lincoln Center. The school offers a number of LL.M. specializations, including Banking, Corporate, and Finance Law; Corporate Compliance; Fashion Law; and more. In 2017, Fordham announced the launch of a new Professional Track LL.M. program, aimed at students who cannot attend a traditional full-time LL.M.

In terms of rankings, Cardozo tends to do well in specialty rankings: it’s listed as a top school for Dispute Resolution by US News. The school launched its LL.M. in 1998; it currently offers a number of specialized programs, including an LL.M in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy; Intellectual Property LL.M.; and more.

Founded in 1925, St. John’s University School of Law is located in the New York City borough of Queens. In recent years, the law school has been growing its LL.M. offerings: in 2008, it launched a US Legal Studies LL.M.; more recently it’s launched an LL.M. in Transnational Legal Practice and one in International Sports Practice. St. John’s also offers an LL.M. in Bankruptcy Law.

Established in 1891 by faculty of Columbia Law School after a dispute arose at Columbia, New York Law School has a long and storied history. Located in the Tribeca area of Manhattan, NYLS offers an LL.M. Taxation, which allows students to specialize in areas like Corporate Tax, Estate Planning, and Tax Litigation, among others.

Brooklyn Law, founded in 1901, generally ranks as one of the top 100 law schools in the USA by US News. Its LL.M., specifically designed for internationally-trained lawyers, was launched in 2011 and features specializations in Business Law, Refugee and Immigration Law, and Intellectual Property Law.

For those looking for an LL.M. in upstate New York, University of Buffalo School of Law offers one of the best. Leveraging the school’s proximity to Canada, the University at Buffalo launched a Cross-Border Legal Studies LL.M. in 2017. Additionally, the school offers an LL.M. in Environmental Law, one in Criminal Law, as well as a General LL.M.

Located in White Plains, New York, students studying for an LL.M. at Pace University School of Law can be in midtown Manhattan by train in about an hour. The school is particularly well-known for its research in environmental law; and the school does offer an LL.M. in the field, and another in Comparative Legal Studies.